In the past a wide variety of portable shelters have been used to include tents and similar structures, inflatable structures, geodesic domes, and various types of pre-fabricated structures. Tents have the advantage of being quick to erect while pre-fabricated structures have the advantage of being sturdier, more permanent, and more capable of withstanding weather. The ideal portable shelter would be quick and easy to erect, yet sturdy and capable of withstanding windy and stormy weather.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,256,896 to Phil F. Cummins was an improvement over some of the previously known portable shelters cited therein. However, the device disclosed and claimed by the Cummins patent has several disadvantages. Its framework was too heavy, its hinges and hardware had protrusions which could tear and damage the attached cover, and its cover was difficult to remove for the purpose of repair or replacement. The present application discloses a device which is an improvement over Cummins and is designed to overcome the disadvantages of the Cummins device. The present invention is designed to be lighter than the Cummins device, yet sturdy enough to remain serviceable over a long period of time. In addition, the present invention incorporates a number of features designed to make the invention easier to manufacture, more maintenance-free, and easier to repair. The advanced features and improvements of the present invention will be disclosed in detail hereinbelow.
Therefore, it is a general object of this invention to provide a lighter weight, sturdy, quickly erectable and strikable, easily repairable, all-purpose utility structure capable of being made in several sizes.